Admission Requirements
The following two categories of students are entitled to participate:
Bachelor students of CADS who have passed the following first-year courses:
Anthropological Research in Practice
Statistics in Practice
Academic Writing and (Re-)Presentation (Navigating Academic Discourse as of 2025-2026)
Ethics in Contemporary Ethnographic Research/ Data Management and Research Ethics
Academic Discourse (Writing in Anthropology as of 2025-2026)
N.B. Completing this course is required to register for the third-year course Personal and Professional Impact.
Language of Instruction
Lectures are given in English.
The exam questions will be in English, but the student can answer in either Dutch or English.
Course Description and Course Objectives
This course helps students to prepare for Fieldwork NL in both bachelor specialisations. It is tailored to both bachelor specialisations (PPP and MMM) and covers methodological topics relevant to both and specific to each specialisation. Lectures are mandatory.
It focuses on how to turn your research topics, questions, and theoretical problems into concrete research activities. It presents different approaches to operationalizing your research and connect research methods and theory to the topic that you will study. How do you explicitly shape relationships between theory and everyday research practices? The course will address epistemological issues that are related to reflexivity in fieldwork and that are related to combining qualitative and quantitative methods. This will help you to:
- reflect on notions of method and methodology.
- engage with methodological and epistemological debates and their histories to expand your methodological vocabulary.
- learn how to use research methods reflexively by explicitly addressing their situatedness.
- translate research interests into a feasible research project.
- go beyond a ‘cookbook’ or ‘toolkit’ approach to methods.
Schedule
Dates and room numbers can be found on the website.
Mode of Instruction
Total 5 ECTS = 140 study tax hours (sbu)
Lectures 10 × 2 = 20 hours * 1,5 = 30 sbu
Literature ca. 770 pages = 110 sbu
Assessment Method
- Written examination on Brightspace.
Exam may be re-taken if results of the first attempt are deemed unsatisfactory (grade 5 or lower).
Registration in My Studymap
Registration for the lectures in My Studymap is mandatory for all students. Registration closes 5 days before the start of the course. Carefully read all information about the procedures and deadlines for registering for courses and exams.
Registration of exams
Students need not register for the examination via My Studymap, since tests will be conducted through Brightspace.
Brightspace
Brightspace is the digital learning environment of Leiden University. Brightspace gives access to course announcements and electronic study material. Assignments will also be submitted in Brightspace. Announcements about and changes to courses are given via Brightspace. Students are advised to check Brightspace daily to keep informed about rooms, schedules, deadlines, and all details regarding assignments. Lecturers assume that all students read information posted on Brightspace.
- How to login
The homepage for Brightspace is: Brightspace
Please log in with your ULCN-account and personal password. On the left you will see an overview of My Courses.
For access to courses in Brightspace you need to be registered for those courses in My Studymap.
Course Literature
Rabinow, Paul. 1977. Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco. University of California Press.
Articles from electronic journals are available through the digital university library and will be made available via Brightspace.